Ninja Gaiden 3 wishlist

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Explosive Kunai Dynamic

When you use the Explosive Kunai or Incendiary Shuriken dart or Explosive dart whatever people calls it, if you see how it works and see it in action; you'd notice it's actually outdated and not that useful in terms of "mechanic".
If an enemy throws an explosive dart at you, the time ticks and counts down doesn't it and then explodes?

Now imagine if you map the Explosive Darts to your Primary Projectile slot, you press B/Circle and Ryu throws a dart that explodes instantly upon contact with an object or enemy. What if you hold down the B/Circle button for 3 seconds; let go and when your explosive dart touches an enemy or an object; it delays for 3 seconds and then explode?

This is another way of playing strategic in Ninja Gaiden 3, I am not making the game feel easier by holding down B/Circle to charge for Ultimate Technique; and once I release the button Ryu throws about 3 or 4 explosive darts that gives extra damage upon impact. Why is this system Explosive Dart called dynamic? because if you hold down the B/Circle button for some time, the time you used up will reflect to the explosive thrown at an enemy.

If I hold the button for 10 second and let go; the explosive dart will be timed for 10sec and then explode!
If you look at the original explosive dart, it really doesn't offer anything in "timed"-explosive, it's just more of a shuriken that can explode on contact with an enemy. With this new explosive dart using a dynamic mechanic, you can hold the button for a short time and the time held will reflect to the explosive dart thrown.

"In terms of being dynamic, how exactly would this affect the gameplay?"
Well imagine you see a Berserker, you hold down the B/Circle button for 5 second, while running away as the Berserker pursuits you, once you throw it to the ground, if the Berserker runs by it on time with the -timed- explosive dart, the Berserker will get affected once the dart explodes.

Observe Ayane's explosive kunai and just imagine if you can set the timer for the kunai to explode, it will bring new possible gameplay and strategies.

Weapon Upgrade System 2.0

Since Hayashi stated that Ninja Gaiden 3 will not use the old upgrading system from previous Ninja Gaiden games and will indeed use a new type of upgrading system. Coming up with an idea for the new game based on weapon upgrading might be useless since I don't even know if this new system will not coherent with my idea, thus I will still mention it because who knows it might be considered or even relate to the new system.

1. Ryu just picked up the Dabilahro from a dead ninja
2. He uses the weapon on a few kunoichis and ninjas
3. The weapon's endurable wears out meaning if the original state of Dabilahro (how Ryu found it) could do 4x damage to a single enemy. Once it's durable wears out, it will do 2x damage instead.
4. Ryu would take the weapon to Muramasa to repair it, repairing the weapon will make the Dabilahro fresh and stronger making it perform 5x damage.

So basically the principle works like this: You collect a weapon and each time you use it on an enemy it's durability runs out; when weakened the weapon's damage will be useless and Ryu must repair it, upon repairing it, the weapon will be good as new as well as being stronger than before.

I'll explain it again: (Dragon Sword Max 5 level)
*Dragon Sword lvl 1= 2x damage
*Dragon Sword weak lvl 1= 1x damage
*Dragon Sword repaired
-Dragon Sword lvl 2= 3x damage
*Dragon Sword repaired
-Dragon Sword lvl 3= 4x damage
*Dragon Sword weak lvl 3= 3x damage (basically it levels down in damage)
*Dragon Sword repaired lvl 4= 5x damage
*Dragon Sword repaired
-Dragon Sword lvl 5 (MAX)= 6x damage
*Dragon Sword weak lvl 5= 5x damage
*Dragon Sword repaired
-Dragon Sword lvl 5= 6x damage (meaning it can't be upgraded any further but will be renewed once repaired!)

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Also we can limit the amount of uses per level:

Level 1= 50 uses
Level 2= 100 uses
Level 3= 120 uses
Level 4= 150 uses
etc

So obviously if Ryu uses the Nunchunk in level 2 100 times, it will weaken lowering the damage and forcing Ryu to upgrade.

Good idea? a step forward or backwards? do you think it's the new Ninja Gaiden 3 upgrading system?
I don't need to create a concept for this.

UPDATE:

A friend of mine said "it's not bad, but I think the last level should be unwearable, meaning that there'll be no need to repair it after reaching lv.5"

How right he is, though the reason why I said the MAX level can still be durable is to make sure the money used to upgrade can still be worth spending. In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 or Ninja Gaiden Black, after using your money to fully upgrade all your weapons, afterwards the money becomes useless in spending and can only be used to buy health items and devil kis.

Even though you have fully maximise your weapon, it can still wear from constant use; this will still force you to spend money to upgrade and put earning money or karma to use. There's no point in still gathering lots of karma/money if your weapon cannot upgrade any further.

Tuesday, 1 February 2011

Art of the Inferno Sphere

Imagine Ryu surrounded by 10 ninjas in a circle and 2 in front of him, what would Ryu do or how would he get out of it? With the Inferno Sphere, Ryu can cast this ninpo and will encircle Ryu with protective burning flames, leaving Ryu to duel out with those 2 ninjas in front of him.

How cool is that? this ninpo will be perfect for crowd control and allows Ryu to focus on couple of enemies without the rest of the packs interfering. Let's say Maskado Flaming Samurai with his minions Ninjas. If you want to personally deal with Maskado alone without his minions ganging up on you; if Maskado gets close to you, you can cast the Inferno Sphere. The Inferno Sphere will leave the ground burning surrounding Ryu & Maskado, if the minions tries to get close to Ryu they'll would get burnt.

I think this ninpo is a good addition to Ninja Gaiden 3, it works like Art of the Fire Wheel; thus the difference between Inferno Sphere and Art of the Fire Wheel is that Fire Wheel protects you from harm and allowing you to move freely. Whilst Inferno Sphere reduces the enemies approach though you can still be harmed by projectile, it works more like a `crowd control`.

As you can see, Ryu cast the ninpo at medium range next to an enemy. The ninpo surrounds Ryu and the enemy in flames so that other enemies cannot get closer to them. Enemies projectiles can still get pass through the fire and hurt Ryu.

Saturday, 22 January 2011

Reverse Guarding

Again talking about the Art of the Teleporting Falcon for the third and final time. In contrast to talking about Bayonetta being the King of Hack n Slash and no other hack n slash can topple it.
I was sleeping and in the midst of waking up, an idea was flowing in my head.

Reverse Guarding is the ultimate form of the Art of the Teleporting Falcon, now if you've read my idea of what the Teleporting Falcon is; you'd noticed it's a ninpo that grants Ryu the ability to teleport like he does at the end of Ninja Gaiden 1 or in DOA 4.

Now forget Teleporting Falcon as a ninpo, the Teleporting Falcon will be in a form of Reverse Guarding. And what is Reverse Guarding? Reverse Guarding is a stance when Ryu blocks an attack, Ryu would teleport randomly behind the enemy either behind, left or right in order to catch the enemy off guard. In contrast to Bayonetta using the bracelet that can Repel any attacks (I think it's the Moon of Mahaa Kalaa).

Once Ryu guards an attack and teleports behind the enemy, he can counter and attack the enemy from behind; mind you that smarter enemies and stronger enemies can predict this and will obviously find a way to attack from behind. It is really hard to explain, just think Bayonetta repelling multiple attacks and imagine Ryu teleporting behind an attack, enemy turns 360degree and attacks, Ryu blocks and teleports to the left, Enemy turns to the left and attacks Ryu as Ryu blocks and teleport in front of him.

Here are 2 videos to show you how the Repel in Bayonetta works for people who haven't seen it.

As you can see from the above video examples, you press Block on an attack and Bayonetta repels it, and goes in Witch Time if timed correctly. Now imagine you pressing Block at an exact attack, and Ryu teleports behind the enemy. Imagine surrounded by 3 enemies, you block 1 enemy's attack and teleport, you block another enemy's attack and teleport again and you block the last enemy's attack and teleport one more time.
This will make Ninja Gaiden more fast pace or if not strategic!
No there wouldn't be slow motion or what ever. Obviously this technique will be optional because some people will feel that it would make Ninja Gaiden easy, however in terms of competition and SWOT, Team NINJA will have to use what ever means to make Ninja Gaiden better than other competition out there (Asura's Wrath, DmC, Bayonetta, Knights Contract).
You can toggle the technique on/off.

UPDATE

Ok I've finally made two example gifs:)

Ryu runs towards an enemy, smart A.I enemy attacks, Ryu Reverse Guards and teleports behind enemy A.I, enemy A.I predicted and attacks behind, Ryu successfully Reverse Guards again and teleports in front of enemy and finally enemy attacks from behind again and Ryu once again successfully Reverse Guard the final attack. Now finally behind enemy, Ryu can then attack enemy A.I.

Fig. 2. Ryu runs in front of A.I 1, A.I 1 attacks and Ryu sucessfully Reverse Guard; A.I 2 behind Ryu attacks and Ryu reverse guard again and teleports behind A.I 3; and thus A.I 3 attacks Ryu and finally Ryu Reverse Guard spot on and teleported behind AI 3.

Saturday, 8 January 2011

Flexible Sword or (Urumi)

The South Indian Urumi weapon

I know a lot of people are thinking of their own sword ideas Ryu can use in the next Ninja Gaiden instalment; searching for various swords with different shapes and sizes, to me they all do the same purpose and can be wielded the same way. Tell me how a Board Sword can be wielded differently with a 9 Ring Board Sword? or a long Japanese Odachi sword wielded different with a katana? They have different shapes and sizes however they will still be wielded the same way.

Now this sword Urumi or flexible sword as I first perceived from Samurai X Rurouni Kenshin wielded by this villain called Sawagejo Cho. I later saw the same similar type of sword used in Reigns of Assassin, so I said to myself what if Ryu could wield this sword? Yes it handles like every other sword out there however the function works differently. The main feature for this weapon is the ability to bend without breaking, from this source says that Chinese assassins carry this sword and attach it to their waist/blend because it's concealable.

As for the official name Urumi, which is not really the Chinese name, the Urumi sword is a South Indian sword. The difference between the Chinese sword and the South Indian sword is that the Urumi acts more like a rope made of sword and holding the sword vertical will prove the major difference as the Urumi cannot stand straight like a normal sword would do.

Urumi, a Malayalam movie, Sword cannot stand straight when held upwards

Also note that this weapon should not be confused with a Chain Whip as that acts exactly as a rope made of chain. Nor to be confused with Sword Whip, the chain sword Ivy from Soul Calibur wields and Dark Prince used in Prince of Persia. The Flexible Sword and Sword whip may have the same features although the major differences is that Flexible Sword bends and its flexible, while the Sword Whip can be detached and form like a chain whip, thus making the Flexible Sword not to be wielded like a chain.

Its like the flexible Ruler kids always need at school

Enough talk of differences and references about the weapon, how would Ryu wield this weapon? imagine what sort of moves he could pull out with it. If I were to design the next Ninja Gaiden game and include this weapon, I would make the weapon more complex to handle and wield. This will not be your typical Dragon Sword & Tiger Fang, your Kitestu or Dragon Sword. I would say the animation would be like Gabriel wielding the Cross Whip style and Ryu wielding the Kitestu.

To give a better insight, here is the Flexible Sword in action in the movie Reign of Assassins.

Intractor Blade (Projectile)

A projectile long range secondary weapon that attaches to an enemy and pulls Ryu towards him; enemy would be stunned with an electric charge, once Ryu retracts to the enemy, he then as the chance to perform a free hit combo.

With behemoth bosses like the Statue of Liberty, the Intractor Chain can still attach to the boss making Ryu retract to what ever body the Intractor was attached to. Obviously Ryu cannot grab on and will eventually fall, thus Ryu can still perform some damages while falling in mid air.

Extension is limited

As you can see from this example, any side of the hook can be gripped, Ryu would just thrust the weapon like a stabbing gesture while grabbing hold of a side and the other side would extract and hook on to the enemy. Once attached to an enemy it would instantly retract the whole body of the weapon back together dragging Ryu along with it.

Ryu holding the Intractor Blade, both either end blade hooks can be thrust to attach to an enemy

Designing this and using the chain seems too standard for pulling the whole body. Muramasa can upgrade it to a level 2 stage and the chain will transform to a beam. Beam of Light contains vast energy that cannot separate both ends of the hooks, thus giving more reason why both with retract together once split apart.

UPDATE
Here is an example of how the Intractor Blade works in this gif animation

From the gif:
1. Ryu runs towards a ninja
2. Ryu takes out the Intractor Blade
3. Ryu thrust the Intractor Blade to extend it's chain, ninja was unaware of the extending chain
4. Grapple hits ninja and stuns him for a few seconds
5. Immediately the rest of the Intractor Blade retracts back to the grapple taking Ryu along with it.
6. Ryu gets a chance to hit the enemy

The MAJOR important thing about this Intractor Blade is when Ryu retracts next to the enemy, it happens so fast and it's meant to happen very fast. To change the pace of Ninja Gaiden to fast pace. It's another way of playing strategic.

Enemies can also block the Intractor (duh)

Here is the Intractor Blade used on enemy flying in the air. Like I said before enemies hit by the Intractor will get stunted for a couple of second and allows Ryu to attack freely.

Thanks to Ryochan and Umbrae for the sprites.

As you can see from the image above, it shows the weapon as a device can attach to the enemy, once hit directly, it drags Ryu closer to the enemy in an instant. If enemy does get hit by the device, the enemy will be stunned as the device will generate an electricity. Once Ryu gets close to the enemy, he gets the chance to hit.

The method works similar to the windmill shuriken stuns. The projectile device works like a measuring tape, however instead of the tape just pulling back in, it drags you along to the set tape.

Mechanic again is exactly like Devil May Cry 4's Devil Bringer, however instead of you grabbing an enemy and bringing them towards you, you transverse towards the enemy instead.

Devil Bringer grabs and drags enemies towards you

The device will certainly be amazing when used at enemy flying or jumping in the air, Ryu will retract to them in mid air and perform air attacks.

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Saturday, 19 February 2011

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